Vanity box



Aug. 14, 1923.

E. A. WARNER VANITY BOX Filed July 5, 1922 Irv/e12 Z02; Eleazwrfl. Wkrner Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

was A. WARNER, 0.1! 5'1. PAUL, IIHHIBO'IA.

VANITY 30!.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELEANOR A. Williams,- a citizen of the United States, residin at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and tate of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Vanity Boxes, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to boxes, and more particularly to the type known as vanity boxes designed to contain face powder and other toilet articles.

An object of the invention is to provide a box of the class described, which is provided with a mirror; and a light properly placed to illuminate the mirror, so that the device may be conveniently used in public at an time. y

A Karther, object of the invention is the provision of a novel construction, whereby the battery is conveniently and readily accessible, and the battery, itself, is easily and readily removable and insertable without involving any preliminary operation such as the removal of screws or disconnecting of wires.

The novel construction further rovides a receptacle for the powder, whic receptacle is separated in a manner from the batter-y chamber, as to be leak-proof to prevent powder from entering the battery chamber, thus rendering the device sanitary and free from the danger of having the powder mingle with the battery and thereby render it more or less inefficient.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out as this specification progresses, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

F ignre 1, is a perspective view of my improved vanity box showing it in open position.

Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1, drawn to an enlarged scale, so as to more clearly set forth the details.

Fig. 3, is a. fragmentary plan view of Fi re 2. fr

ig. 4 is a agmentary perspective view of a part of the box showing the battery electrodes and part of the circuit, closing mechanism carried by a box member.'

Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the dry battery.

Application am July as, :1922. Serial no. mass.

7 Fig. 6, is 0. pers ctive view of a art of the bottom and si e wall of the b0 y portion of the box.

Fig. 7, is a perspective view of a part of the powdertray.

Fig. 8, is a detail view of the contact lever carried byone of the box members to engage one of the electrodes, and

Fig. 9, is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified .form of connection between the inner and outer box members.

In the drawings, 1 designates the body portion of my improved box havin a bottom 2, a side wall 3, and an externafhollow annular head 4 near the top thereof. The body portion has a cover 5 hinged thereto as by means of a hinge 6 formed with a pintle 6, the cover when closed fitting frictionally over the top of the body portion and resting on a bead 4 as indicated by dotted lines inFigure 2. The cover has preferably a suitable spring hasp member 7, which engages with the head 4 to hold the box closed. The inner face of the cover is provided with a mirror 8, preferably covermg the entire inner side thereof and being suitably secured therein.

Cut in the edge of the wall 3 of the body portion, are the notches 9, of which there are preferably 3 equidistantly positioned throughout the length of the wall. The notches extend to the lower edge 10 of the hollow of the bead 4. Spaced preferably to the right of the notches 9, one for each notch, is the lug 11 which is preferably integral and formed by crimping the bead externally as at 12 (Fig. 3). Fittin telescopically into the interior of the ho y ortion and being appreciably shallower t an the latter, is the inner powder receptacle or tray 13, having a bottom 14 and a surrounding side wall 15, the latter being referably normally flush with the top 0 the body portion.

Secured to the outer side of the wall 15 are the knobs or locking members 16, which are spaced on the surface of the wall 15 to register with the notches 9 of the body porably interlocked to resist any pressure developed internally tending to force the tray out of the bod portion.

As a su stitute for the notches 9 and the bead as shown, I may use a bayonet slot as shown in Figure 9, and a pin instead of the knob 16, which will answer the same purpose. When using the bayonet slot and pm the latter may be made to extend beyond the outside of the wall 3 of the body portion to form a rest for the cover as a substitute for the bead.

The tray is formed, at a pointlcoated at the base of the cover when it is in open position, with a partition wall 17, which is attached at its terminals to the surrounding wall of the tray to define a relatively small com artment 18, here shown as haying a semi-circular end and being flush with the top of the tray. The floor of the tray is cut away within the compartment to form the opening 19 (Fig. 4). Suitably secured in the compartment, is the preferably circular light reflector 20 which is tilted at an angle w1th reference to the 0 en cover 5 and the floor of the tray, to thereby direct the rays of light over the surface of the mirror carried by the cover. The reflector is joined to the wall of the compartment by means of a wall 21, whereby the compartment is rendered leakproof against leakage of powder from above through the opening 19.

Centrally, the reflector is formed preferably with a threaded lamp socket 22, into which is threaded in the usual manner an ordinary electric light bulb 23 having the usual axial terminal 24. The lamp is thus located (with respect to the body portion) between the top and bottom of the powder receptacle. The socket is located directly over the opening 19, which latter IS 'in open communication with the chamber formed by the space between the floor of the tray and the floor of the body portion.

Preferably resting on the floor of thebattery chamber, is the dry battery 25, which may be of any conventional form having the usual spring electrodes 26 and 27, one of the electrodes here shown being formed to extend to a position centrally longitudinally of the battery and inclining over the top side thereof. The other electrode here shown is formed to extend inwardly in the plane of the body of the battery. When positioned in the battery chamber, as is best shown in Figure 2, of the drawings, the battery electrode 26 engages under tension with the terminal 24 of the lamp. The battery is held central by the spring arms 27, which latter are secured to the wall of the body portion in the battery chamber, to engage opposite sides of the battery, and b spring arms 28, one on either side thereo secured to the inner wall of the bod portion and extending diagonally across t e upper corners of the battery as shown in Figure 3.

Thus, when the tray is removed from the body portion, the battery may be initially inserted with its lower end between the spring arms 27, and then sprung between the sprin arms 28 to hold it longitudinally in radia alinement with the hinge of the "ever. Thus the battery may be removed and inserted as desired without entailing any eatensive preliminary preparation as the removal of screws or other parts.

For automatically 0 ening the circuit when the cover is close I provide the fulcrumed lever 29, which latter extends through an opening 30 in the floor of the tray, and is formed with opposite shoulders 31 to rest upon said floor. The lever is preferably formed of one piece and bent upon itself below said shoulders to form the shoulder 32 which shoulder is spaced from the shoulder 31 to permit the thickness of the floor to loosel occupy the space therebetween. Thus, t e lever is locked in pivotal position to the floor of the tray and is so positioned as to engage with the electrode 27, when inclined outwardly against the wall 15 of the tray.

At its top the lever is formed with an arm 33 which extends over the side wall 15 of the tray as shown in Figure 3, when the lever is in contacting relation to close the electric circuit. A spiral spring 34 soldered to the end of the lever holds the spring in contacting relation to hold the circuit closed.

In operation, when the lid is swung upon its hinge to close the box, the side wall of the cover, as at 35, will engage the end of the lever 33 concurrently with the closing movement of the cover, thereby rotating the lever upon its fulcrum and compressing the spring 34 and breaking contact to open the circuit as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

It will be noted that the tray carries the lever 29, so that the tray may be easily and quickly removed from the body portion as a unitary member. In order to prevent powder from leaking through the opening 30, I provide a wall 36 to efi'ectually enclose the opening.

It will be noted that the electrode 26 is centrally positioned on the body of the battery, while the lamp 23 is symmetrically located relative to the body lines of the body portion 1, near the hinge connection of the cover. It is important that the lamp be positioned as near to the top of the tray as Is practicable, to avoid throwing a shadow of the adjacent portion of the wall of the tray onto the mirror. By having the electrode 26 arranged as shown, I am enabled to utilize most of the room afforded by the space beneath the tray.

I claim 1. A vanity box, comprising a body portion having a side wall and a bottom, a receptacle for holding powder, less in depth than said body portion telescoping into the latter and spaced from'the bottom thereof to form a battery receiving chamber, a cover for said body portionmounted to swing upwardly a mirror carried by said cover on the inside thereof, and electrical illuminating means for said mirror, said means including a dry cell battery in said chamber, an electric light bulb located between the top and bottom of said receptacle, and means in operative connection with said cover for holdin the light circuit 0 en when the box is c osed responsive to a c osing movement of said cover.

2. A vanity box, comprising in combination, an open top body portion havin a side wall and a bottom, a reoe tacle for olding powder removabl fitting into the body portion and spaced mm the bottom thereof to form a chamber, a cover for closing the top of said body portion hingedly mounted on said side wall to swin upwardly thereon, a mirror carried by said cover on the inside thereof, and electrical illuminatin means for illuminating said mirror, said il uminating means includin means in operative connection with sai cover to be rendered efi'ective b an opening movement of the latter, said i laminating means also including a dry cell battery in said chamber, and anelectric light bulb at the base of said mirror located between said battery and coverand a reflector for said lamp positioned to direct the light rays against said mirror in a direction leading away from said reflector.

3. A vanity box, comprising in combination, a body portion havin a bottom and a surrounding side wall, a inged cover for said body portion, a mirror on the inside of said cover, illuminatin means for said mir-,

ror, said means inclu ing a light bulb, an electric dry battery supported on the bottom of said body portion and controlling means for rendering said illuminating means effective, and a (powder receptacle movably mounted on sai body portion above said battery formed to support said light bulb to hold same in contact with said batter and having a wall surrounding said lig t bulb to prevent commingling of the powder therewit 4. A device of the class described comprising in combination, a body portion having a bottom and a surrounding side wall, a cover for said body portion, said cover having hinge connection with the latter, a mirror on the inside of said cover, a powder tray mounted in a manner to be removed from the opening of said body portion and spaced from the bottom of the latter, and means, which includes a li ht bulb, for illuminating said mirror, sai means occupying the space beneath said tray and extending with its light bulb through the latter at a point near said hinge connection for the purpose set forth.

5. A device of the class described, comrising in combination, a body portion having a bottom and a surrounding side wall, a cover for said bod portion, said cover having hinge connection with the latter a mirror on the inside of said cover, a pow er tray mounted in a manner to be removed from the openin of said body portion and spaced from the iottom of the latter, means for illuminatin eluding a dry battery located beneath said tra and resilient means carried by said bo y portion adapted to engage with said battery to removably hold same in operative position, said resilient means including spring arms, v

6. device of the class described comprisin in combination, a bod portion having a ottom and a surroun ing side wall, a cover for said bod portion, said cover having hinge connection with the latter, a mirror on the inside of said cover, a powder tray mounted in a manner to be removed from the opening of said body portion and spaced from the bottom of the latter, electric means for illuminatin said mirror, said means including a dry liattery located beneath said tray, said battery including an electrode, and a movable circuit closing lever movably mounted to extend into the path traversed by said cover in a swingin movement thereof to be moved thereby, an be in engagement with said electrode when said cover is in open position.

7. A device of the class described, comprisingjin combination, a bod portion havmg a ottom and a surroun ing side wall, a cover for said bod portion, said cover having hin e connection with the latter, a mirror on t 0 inside of said cover, a powder tray mounted in a manner to be removed from the openin of said bod portion and spaced from the ttom of the atter,electric means for illuminating said mirror, said means including a battery located beneath said tray, said battery including an electrode, and a light bulb carried by said tray in a manner to normally extend into engement with said electrode but disengage t e latter responsive to the removal of said trtiy from the opening of said body portion.

n testimony whereof I aflix m ei ature.

ELEANOR A. AR ER.

said mirror, said means 1n- Ill] 

